The Shenandoah Valley’s long-lasting foliage season peaks in October, bringing crisp air, blue skies, and the incredible reds, yellows, and golds adorning the trees all month long. And as the weather cools, communities come together for a variety of fall-themed fun. It’s also a wonderful time to explore the Beerwerks Trail and sip craft beer. Here’s your guide to fall festivals and places to get your color fix along the Beerwerks Trail.
Zone C
Zone C is located at the southern end of the Beerwerks Trail and includes the breweries in Lexington, Natural Bridge, and Rockbridge County.
Seasonal Community Events
- Head to Lime Kiln Theater for the 31st annual Rockbridge Beer & Wine Festival (September 6). Enjoy unlimited beer, wine, and cider tastings and lots of great food while you dance to music by Gold Station Melody, Mojo Parker Express, Brent Hull, and Caravan of Fools.
- Enjoy old-fashioned family fun at The Jackson House Museum’s annual Apple Day Celebration (September 27). There will be dancing, doll-making, cider-pressing, storytelling, period games, and tours of the museum.
- Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery’s Annual Harvest Festival will feature beer, wine, live music, food, and harvest-themed fun (October 4).
- 29th Annual Apple Butter Festival (October 18): Each year, Wade’s Mill hosts a festival centered around making old-fashioned apple butter. Other highlights include music by The Late Night Stumblers and Hoss & the Special Soss, local food and drink, and handcrafted work by talented artisans.
Autumn Scenery
Take a peaceful stroll or family bike ride on the Chessie Nature Trail, which follows the Maury River for seven miles between Lexington and Buena Vista. The flat, scenic trail follows an old railroad bed and provides views of the woodland, farmland, and the nearby water.
An easy hike in Natural Bridge State Park rewards with views of the commanding limestone arch framed by blazing seasonal hues. Serious hikers can tackle the climb to the summit of House Mountain for panoramic views and stunning fall colors.
The Blue Ridge Parkway hugs the ridgeline between the southern end of Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and offers both trailheads and regular places to pull over to enjoy the leafy extravaganza below. Ravens Roost Overlook is a good bet for watching sunsets and photographing leaves.
Route 608 is a lovely backroad that connects Lexington to Grottoes and rolls past beautiful farms and along the edge of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. Look for a changing palette of deciduous trees on this scenic byway. You’ll pass through Stuarts Draft, Fishersville, and the New Hope site of the 1864 Battle of Piedmont.
Zone B
Zone B’s central location on the Beerwerks Trail includes the breweries in Waynesboro, Staunton, and Augusta County.
Seasonal Community Events
- Oktoberfest at The Alpine Goat Brewery runs from September 19 – October 12 and promises to fill those days with Bavarian fun. Look for chances to dust off your stein and don your lederhosen as you enjoy beer and German-themed food, test your skill at lawn games and other competitions, dance to live music and browse vendor offerings at OktoberfestMarkt.
- Queen City Mischief and Magic returns to Staunton for its 10th year on September 27-28. Look for wizarding-themed events, live entertainment, unique shopping, and hands-on activities.
- Celebrate the Oktoberfest season at Stable Craft Brewing & Cidery with beer, German-inspired food, live music and silly competitions involving steins, pretzels, and yodeling. OktoBEERfest: Nickel Plate Brass Band (October 11) and Miles Hoyle: Live at Oktoberfest (October 18).
- Waynesboro’s 54th annual Fall Foliage Art Show (October 11-12) is the largest outdoor festival of its kind in the Shenandoah Valley. Downtown Waynesboro will host over 160 artists displaying works in various media as well as live music, gourmet food trucks, craft wine and beer, activities for kids, and 5 and 10K races.
- Latin Soul & Shenandoah Latin Dance are hosting Staunton Festival Hispano (October 25) to celebrate Hispanic culture with food, vendors, music, $5 margaritas, and salsa and bachata lessons and dancing. The festival will also include a petting zoo and other fun for kids, a health clinic, and access to community resources.
- The Frontier Culture Museum’s Cider Festival (November 9) will teach visitors how apples and cider shaped the Valley’s culture. Expect historical interpreters and cider tastings.
Peaceful Parks
George Washington and Jefferson National Forest boasts thousands of acres to witness the changing seasons. Good spots to look at the leaves include the Confederate Breastworks interpretive site at the top of Shenandoah Mountain and Augusta Springs Wetlands, which has a flat, accessible loop trail with restrooms and interpretive signage. Todd Lake Recreation Area and Sherando Lake Recreation Area both have forested trail systems with lovely lake views.
Waynesboro’s South River Greenway delivers excellent views of the natural and urban landscapes along the river. Framed by autumn colors, the flat, shared-use trail connects neighborhoods, parks, and downtown culture. Nearby, Coyner Springs Park has pretty trails and a leash-free area for dogs.
Visitors to Staunton’s Montgomery Hall Park find it easy to forget that they’re moments from downtown as they kick through fallen leaves and immerse themselves in nature on miles of quiet trails. Betsy Bell Wilderness Area has two scenic overlooks with unexpected views of the city and its blanket of fall colors.
Zone A
Located at the northern end of the Beerwerks Trail, Zone A includes the breweries in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.
Seasonal Community Events
- Downtown Harrisonburg welcomes each new month with a packed First Fridays of the Valley event with lots of chances to enjoy visual art, music, and performances. The schedule also promises interactive music activities, wine tastings, and refreshments.
- Massanutten Resort will kick off fall with a new 3-band Mountain Harvest Days Concert on September 20. Return on October 11 for the annual Fall Festival at Massanutten with chairlift rides, wine, beer, cider, kids’ activities, and live music by Holly Roller, Aaron Goodvin, and Everyday People.
- Dayton Days Autumn Celebration (October 4) will feature more than 200 arts and crafts vendors, live music, 30+ food trucks, and fall-weather activities for everyone.
- Elkton Autumn Days won Best Festival in the 2025 Best of the Valley Awards. It returns bigger and better than ever on October 18-19.
- Virginia Pumpkin Festival – Back Home on the Farm (October 11-12 and 18-19): Wear your costume, harvest pumpkins, enjoy seasonal games, crafts, and treats, and more! Return on October 25-26 for a Halloween costume party with scavenger hunts, crafts, and special farm friends.
- Celebrate the history and heritage of Brethren and Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley at Heritage Festival (October 18). There will be hands-on activities for kids, blacksmithing and basket-weaving demonstrations, horse-drawn buggy rides, a petting zoo, storytelling, and tours.
- The 15th Annual Harvest Fest – JMU Arboretum (October 18) will have lots of environmentally-friendly activities for the family.
- Come to downtown Harrisonburg in your costume to trick-or-treat at Skeleton Festival (October 25). Adults can sip and stroll.
- The Gathering Market is a community event with vendors and makers, food trucks, and family fun (October 25).
Fall Color Hotspots
The 105-mile Skyline Drive runs through the heavily forested Shenandoah National Park and is considered one of the best roads in the country for admiring the fall foliage. Stop at one of the 75 overlooks for panoramic views of the Valley, and in many cases, trailheads leading to summits or waterfalls. Look for species like red oak and chestnut growing high on the ridges, giving way to mixed hardwood and yellow poplar forests at lower elevations.
The town of Dayton recently completed the Greenway Path and Silver Lake Nature Trail, a short, but scenic walk around Silver Lake with interpretive signage and lots of chances to see fall colors and migrating birds. Nearby, Harrisonburg’s Rocktown Trails at Hillandale Park’s system of stacked-loop trails is a great way for hikers or mountain bike riders of all levels to hit the singletrack and enjoy the seasonal colors without leaving the city. Another way to enjoy the foliage from the trails is on the slopes at 4-season Massanutten Resort. Fall activities include hiking, scenic chairlift rides, lift-served downhill mountain biking, and E-Bike tours on the Western Slope.
If you’re traveling along the Beerwerks Trail, grab a Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail Passport and visit multiple zones on our map. Enjoy a beer and get a stamp. Eight stamps in at least two zones earns you a t-shirt!